Deadwalk
by Beloved Fool
Summary: AU. You’ll find only the biggest monsters this end of the city and Hell on Earth suddenly has real meaning.
1. 00

**Title: **Deadwalk

**Fandom: **Angelique

**Pairing: **Clavis/Julious

**Theme/Prompt: **#34 'Concrete'

**Rating: **PG-15 for safety's sake.

**Warnings: **None

**Summary: **AU. There's something serious going down this end of the city and Clavis' premonitions of d00m are getting stronger and more frequent, so he goes to an old friend for help in interpreting the dreams. He's not going to like what he finds but luckily he's got people he can trust backing him all the way, however mismatched they seem.

**Notes: **Intro piece for the 'verse. I was thinking Devil May Cry a lot when I looked back over the first paragraph.

* * *

The city of Deadwalk.

It's more of a concrete labyrinth than a jungle; you'll find only the biggest monsters this end of the city and at the goal, you get Leviath who's set himself up here like the Minotaur, powerful and nigh untouchable. Now and again, he gets the odd challenger but there's really no competition, not when the guy covets this supernatural hotspot that's the city slums. Oh, and he uses his demons well, got some kind of contract with a big man in Hades, and works the humans in his employ, if there are still any that can be called that, until their souls are as corrupt and black as his own. There are a few good people that move to the city but they tend to acquire a thin patina of evil the same as the rest and it gets hard to escape after that because Leviath knows _everybody _with the taint.

Can't run, can't hide and if you've _really_ pissed him off, death won't save you either.

But over the years, the city's grown bigger; floods of people rushing in, as Progress is made, and new rivals arrive too. Leviath's suddenly not the only one who's got connections to the _real_ underworld and he doesn't like it one bit. Especially as with the competition, come people who hunt their type of evil for a living.

_Professionals._

There are no bad hunters because if you're crap at _this_ job, you're an ex-hunter. Ex-breather too. Magic-users, Seers, Nightwalkers; anyone who's no one is here, out for their share.

So suddenly Boss Man is hella worried and thinks to himself that reinforcements won't be such a bad idea; get everything back the way it was before and control the vermin overrunning 'his' city called the human species. Maybe even make a permanent conduit between this world and Hades for good measure.

Only perhaps a certain ritual doesn't go the way he planned and now his body is playing host to _his_ boss and Hell is literally loose on Earth. The only humans who know of this are missing and half-dead, the schoolgirl, Rosalia, and Lumiale, the artist who has powerful friends.

Truth will eventually out though, but hope it's not too late. Clavis, the fortune-teller, is suffering from dreams he can't get away from as well as keeping his loved ones one step ahead of certain death.

It's more than enough to break a man.

* * *


	2. 01

**Title: **Apparitions

**Fandom [for disclaimer, see profile: **Angelique

**Pairing: **Clavis/Julious (mentions of Oscar/Lumiale, Pastha/Sara)

**Theme/Prompt: **#08 'Sight'

**Rating: **PG-15 for safety's sake.

**Warnings: **Some male/male situations.

**Summary: **AU. There's something serious going down this end of the city and Clavis' premonitions of d00m are getting stronger and more frequent, so he goes to an old friend for help in interpreting the dreams. He's not going to like what he finds but luckily he's got people he can trust backing him all the way, however mismatched they seem.

**Notes: **-punches the air- _I got this bh finished! _Okay, so it's somewhat harder to keep them in character in an alternate setting than I thought, but I think I pulled it off just barely. Please tell me if they seem really off.

* * *

He tugged on the dark-haired man's earring and smiled slightly as Clavis' eyes focused on him, brought out of his reverie. At his lover's inquiring glance, Julious twisted against the pillows to face the other fully, head resting on one hand.

'You were far away again,' the blond muttered, his eyes going to the brightly coloured cards clutched tightly in Clavis' hands, and the faintly amused quirk to his lips didn't fade, although something in his deep blue eyes went distant. 'Dreaming?'

Clavis shook his head minutely and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, closing his eyes wearily.

'It's still bothering you,' Julious said softly, lifting a hand to trail across the pale skin of the other's forearm, then to comb through long, black silk. Not a question, just a statement of fact but it was met with a slight frustrated sound and the sound of the cards being set down on the bedside cabinet. Clavis had only told him of the recurring dream a few nights ago, and that in itself was a measure of how worried the fortune-teller was, as much as he liked keeping things close. Dreams were never a source of comforting material with a power like his and given the content of this particular one and how persistent it was, even Julious could tell that there was something more serious at work and this time, it concerned everyone.

'If I knew why…' A furrow appeared in Clavis' brow, his eyes still closed, and Julious stilled his slight touches, concern etched in his expression as he leaned up and forward to press his lips against the other's briefly. When he pulled away, deep purple eyes were looking intently at him, frustration, fatigue, love and many other unnameable emotions contained in them that Julious found he almost couldn't bear to see. A blink and the moment had passed, Julious pulled back, although Clavis had moved a hand up to rest in the small of his back, and leaned against the other's chest. There was a long silence, uncomfortable for the tension that ran through it and underneath it all, things unsaid, that didn't need to be. It was Clavis who broke it, sounding as weary as the blond had ever heard him.

'I called Pastha in case there were more discrepancies in the alignments and he mentioned to me that Sara's back in town for the weekend and she's been dreaming too.'

Julious made a soft sound of surprise. 'The same as yours?' He felt the movement as the other shrugged.

'Pastha didn't describe it to me and I didn't ask. Some things aren't to be mentioned over the 'phone. I'm going to the observatory tomorrow to see them. Sara's more receptive to dream-sight than I am, so…' He trailed off but the unspoken addition _I have no choice but to bring her into this _hung in the air. Clavis was uneasy about involving outsiders in this feud as it was and having one of his oldest friends suddenly in the mix, not to mention in the most tentative of positions were it known she had the same (if not greater) power, was most emphatically against his better judgement. Julious nodded his understanding.

'In the morning, I thought I'd go and see Lumiale again,' he said. He'd been to the hospital once already this week and the artist's condition was still unchanging. Even so, the hope was still there that he would wake up soon and seeing the peaceful countenance soothed him, either conscious or unconscious. The doctors had said that it might help if he heard some familiar voices, so each of them had taken to visiting at least once a week, separately and sometimes two or more together, to give updates on recent events.

'With Oscar?'

Julious shook his head and sighed soundlessly, suddenly really tired. 'He's been there every day after work. Still blaming himself for not getting there in time and angry at Lumiale for hitting back at Leviath. But…really,' The blond made an exasperated sound, though it didn't even come close to venting his full frustration and feeling of helplessness. 'What would he have done differently after what that psycho did to Rosalia? The only difference would be Oscar in that hospital bed in a coma.'

'… He knows that.' Julious didn't reply, just sighed again and shut his eyes, listening to Clavis' steady heartbeat and letting himself focus on the rise and fall of his chest. He'd known the flame-haired man since they'd been kids together, but it was times like these that he felt Oscar had changed more dramatically over the years than he had. But then Oscar had never had anyone like Lumiale before.

He smiled faintly as he remembered the first time they'd laid eyes on each other; Clavis introducing the man who'd painted the designs for the fortune-teller's Tarot deck that Oscar had found fascinating and the redhead's uncharacteristic silence all the way back to the apartment after dinner, when Randy had started teasing him about it and the not-quite confession a few weeks later when they'd been celebrating Oscar's promotion quite uproariously. Lumiale's answering blush/smile combination had been quite spectacular to watch, as had the resultant inebriated tongue-wrestling match.

A hand settling around his shoulders brought him back to the present, just when his thoughts would have been dragged to the point where everything had started to go wrong, and the only thing that kept his voice from shaking one iota in anger was the steady, stoic presence by his side, anchoring him.

'We'll get him back. Whatever's happening with these dreams will stop and then Lumiale'll wake up, Rosalia will have returned and…' He trailed off, unfamiliar uncertainty holding him back. The dark-haired man said nothing, keeping his gaze trained on the blank white of the opposite wall, his lover in his arms but unable to offer any comforting words, because there were none he could find that didn't seem an outright lie.

And tomorrow, because it seemed so desperate, he would go for help, putting more lives in danger – _friends_ – and he would try to protect them all, even if it meant his soul.

* * *


	3. 02

**Title: **Echo

**Fandom: **Angelique

**Character/Pairings: **Clavis/Julious, mentions of others.

**Theme/Prompt: **#25 'Perception'

**Rating: **PG-15 for safety's sake.

**Warnings: **Some male/male situations, mild horror of the supernatural persuasion, violence and language.

**Summary: **Part of the Deadwalk AU and follows 'Apparitions'. Clavis goes to the observatory to see Sara and Pastha whilst Julious goes to see how Oscar's doing.

**Notes: **I _really_ enjoyed writing this once I got a damn move on. Especially Pastha. OOC abounds but it's AU, so help me.

* * *

There was a familiar shock of pink and blonde just visible through the small window into the hospital room as Julious approached. Opening the door, he found that to his surprise the other was the only one in the room besides the comatose artist. He nodded in greeting as Olivie looked up from his magazine, turning a weary smile in his direction, and sat down in the chair opposite, closest to the bed.

Julious took in the silent figure between them and noted the rare absence of a certain redhead by Lumiale's side. He turned to the nightclub owner, who nodded in reply to the unvoiced question, his smile turning a touch bitter and avoiding Julious' eyes.

'I sent Oscar home to sleep, take a shower, anything to prevent him from killing himself any further, blaming himself like he does.'

Julious nodded very slightly, eyes on the still face of their friend. He was painfully aware of his best friend keeping vigil over his unconscious lover ever since he'd been brought in that horrible night. Oscar was now on 'sick' leave from work until such time as he felt able to return; the chief editor of the magazine they worked for had been sympathetic when Julious had talked with him last, albeit regretful that they were short a photographer for the coming season. The blond also knew that Olivie had been a steadfast companion in the times when the others' jobs were making it impossible for them to sit with him.

'What about you?' The other asked, leaning forward a little to put the magazine on the table at Lumiale's feet. Julious shot him a questioning glance and he elaborated with a small sigh.

'You don't look so hot yourself. Almost as good as Oscar did when I came in this morning, to be perfectly brutal. Everything okay at home?'

Looking away, the blond thought before replying. He wanted to honour Clavis' unspoken request about not getting too many others involved, and here in this room, Lumiale's current unmoving frame was enough of a grim reminder of what more could befall them and there _was_ more yet to come, Julious was sure; as cloudy as Leviath's plans might yet seem to them now, from past experience there was no doubt that this was just the beginning.

'…Everything's fine. Just… just got to get it together. It's not been the best couple of weeks, y'know?' He shot Olivie a bitter smile. The other man echoed it before turning back to his magazine, even though it seemed that the lurid headlines didn't hold much interest for him anymore.

'Yeah, don't I know,' he said quietly.

* * *

At the top of Kepler Hill, the looming structure of the City Observatory and offices sat, white domed walls shining in the early afternoon sun. Shading his eyes as he walked up the broad steps to the entrance, Clavis searched for the figure waiting outside that would tell him that Pastha was there ready to meet him. Sara, Pastha's lover and a fellow psychic, was coming in on the subway as far as she could without infringing on mob territory, which was closer to the better end of town nowadays, and then getting a lift in with Luva whom Clavis had invited along in a last minute burst of inspiration. The librarian certainly knew his way around the reference section and computer databases, which was always useful if they needed to find things out quickly in a pinch.

He reached the glass double doors just as someone opened them from the inside, and he stepped back to let them pass. A group of three men walked out, dressed in the uniform of the extremely well-to-do - designer sunglasses, crisp suits and immaculate hair – not even pausing to glance at him as they walked quickly down the steps, chatting in low voices amongst themselves. They looked odd, out of place at the observatory, which was not known for attracting many visitors even on good days, and most definitely not of that class. Then the only thing that came straight to mind following that line of though was… Leviath's goons?

Uneasy, Clavis entered the observatory, declaring himself as Pastha's guest to the receptionist inside. Told to wait whilst Pastha came down to fetch him, the fortune teller took a seat on a bench next to a fake-looking potted plant, going over the possibilities of the intentions of the group of men who had just left. For some reason, they just hadn't felt… _right_ to him, giving him the same unnerving feeling as he had in the dreams when he was being chased by _something_ that wasn't quite human. But, walking around in the light of day-

'Clavis?' Almost jumping at the sound of the other's voice as he called from the door of his office down the corridor, he stood and met the astronomer warmly, shaking his hand.

'How are you, my friend?' He asked, a rare, small smile gracing his face. Pastha nodded back, and held the door open for Clavis to enter.

'As good as can be expected,' he answered, shutting the door and sitting on one of the easy chairs on the other side of his small desk. Gesturing for Clavis to do the same, he continued, 'I don't suppose you saw the rich-lookin' fellas on your way in?'

'I did. I was going to ask you about them, as a matter of fact. Leviath's?'

'Heh, how'd you get that impression? Yeah. I'm not quite sure what they were after though, but Elise sent them off packing with some excuse about a meeting when they got too enthusiastic. Remind me to give her a raise.'

'You don't pay her.'

Pastha shrugged, grinning. 'Right. I'll get her some flowers or something. Anyway, what about them caught _your_ attention? You looked fairly rattled when I called you over. Did you recognise them?' He added after the other didn't reply for a moment.

Clavis shrugged slightly, his uneasiness returning as he remembered the associations he'd made between the aura rolling off those men and his dream, which was the primary reason he'd come here today.

'They, or rather, their aura seems a little familiar is all,' he said after a moment. Pastha frowned a little, regarding Clavis with a thoughtful expression.

'That doesn't sound promising,' he commented after a moment with an exasperated sigh. 'I take it you don't mean personally?'

The fortune-teller shook his head, eyes dropping to the smooth, polished surface of the low coffee table, and went on, 'Not exactly human, but… not completely demon. It's as if…'

'They've been enhanced somehow?' Clavis looked up with some surprise at his friend, who waved it away. 'Just some rumours that caught my attention last time I went to Olivie's place,' he explained. 'There might be a bit of truth in them after all. Some new drug that the mob've been hawking. Something to do with enhancing musculature with no outward effect and something more, but that's all I got. Maybe it's something we can have Luva look up, right?

'Speaking of which,' he added, glancing at the clock on the wall. 'They should both be here in a half hour, assuming the subway's not shot to hell again. You want a drink while we're waiting?'

Shaking his head, Clavis stood, taking out his cell phone. 'I've got to make a call. Julious went to visit Lumiale this morning. I don't suppose there's been any change, but at the very least, I should ask after Oscar.'

Pastha nodded, expression a bit subdued, before standing as well and moving to his desk. 'You two okay now?'

Clavis looked at him slightly askance, eyebrow raised in inquiry. 'How do you mean?'

The astronomer made an expansive gesture with one hand whilst rifling through the papers on his desk absently with the other. 'Well… I heard-'

He was cut off by the loud tone of the phone on his desk. Mouth set in a straight line at the interruption, he picked up the receiver, answering the line with a curt, 'Yes?'

After a moment, Pastha's expression softened considerably, his eyes full of affection, and he mouthed _they're on their way now _to Clavis, who had already guessed that it would either be Sara or Luva at the other end, if that look was anything to go by. He signed to the astronomer that he was going to make his call to Julious outside the office, leaving at Pastha's acknowledging nod.

Closing the door behind him, he leaned against the wall slightly, punching in the number to his lover's cell phone, listening to it ring a couple of times before it was picked up.

'Hey,' Julious greeted, his voice warm in the way that Clavis at the other end could tell that he was smiling slightly. 'What's up? Are you at the observatory?'

'Yes. Sara and Luva are on their way now and we'll be able to talk soon. Are you at the hospital?'

There was a small sigh, and Julious' voice changed, his tone sounding a little defeated. 'I just got back to the apartment. Olivie was there when I arrived though. He's sent Oscar home to get some rest but…' He trailed off, uncertainty in the hesitation. Clavis finished the sentence for him.

'But, you don't think he's going to stay at home?' A deeper sigh this time; Clavis could picture the other running his fingers distractedly through his hair in his frustration before he answered.

'No, he won't. I wouldn't, if it was…' _If it was me, _Clavis thought, and he had to agree. In Oscar's position, there was no way to be sure that any one of them would be acting differently and it was now his resolution that none of them would ever have the chance to find out.

'I know,' he said, letting some reassurance creep into his voice. 'Listen, there's something Pastha picked up at Olivie's club, rumours that we need to check out. I'd ask Luva, but there's no telling what other research we'll need him to do after this.'

'Oh? What rumours?' The blond asked, sounding like his interest had been piqued once the subject had turned to what amounted to the basis of his career.

'Drugs. Some kind of amphetamine sounds like, only more powerful than the usual. It affects people's auras.'

'Their- what? I thought you said before that an aura was a reflection of the soul? It can be changed with drugs?'

'Not usually, which is why I'm worried,' Clavis admitted. 'I think Leviath might be the pusher if these rumours are true.'

'Why am I not surprised?' the other commented bitterly. 'I'll get onto it.' He paused before adding quietly, 'I'll see you later, okay?'

'Right.' The fortune-teller hung up, feeling as empty as Julious sounded. Slipping the 'phone back into his jacket pocket, he re-entered Pastha's office to find the other sitting on the sofa again, flipping idly through a pamphlet produced by the observatory. The astronomer looked up as Clavis sat down again, smiling slightly.

'Done with your call? Luva and Sara will be here in a couple of minutes; they're just trying to find a parking space.' He shook his head slightly in an exasperated motion. 'Everybody's taking up space these days around this neighbourhood. Just trying to move back from the mob's ground.'

'I don't blame them,' Clavis put in softly. Pastha shrugged.

'Well, no. I know that.' The phone on the desk gave a short trill before falling silent again. Pastha spared it a glance before smiling broadly and rising to his feet, eyes on the door.

'They're here?' The fortune-teller queried, as he too stood and turned to face the door as it opened. Nodding, Pastha started forward at a knock on the door, opening it to reveal a startlingly attractive redhead, Sara, and a handsome man with quiet features, Luva. Pastha greeted the psychic and the librarian exuberantly, gathering them both in a warm, enthusiastic hug before pulling away, ushering them inside his office. Shaking hands with Luva, Clavis smiled at his friend and former classmate as she reached up on her tiptoes to give him an affectionate kiss on either cheek.

'It's been a while, you,' she said, eyes glittering. Clavis shrugged slightly.

'Things have been happening,' he remarked, and Sara's eyes turned serious, her expression solemn.

'Let's all sit down then,' Pastha suggested, and Luva took a seat next to him, opposite Sara, who chose the seat beside Clavis. Once they had all been seated, he took in all of their equally grim countenances in turn, coming to a rest on the two psychics.

'Well then, what's been going on in this city?'

* * *

**End Notes: **Continued in 'Distortion' – Finding out what's going on and Leviath's next move.

Already started the next part and making an effort for it to be released early next week, say Wednesday?

AU is as AU does. I'll probably be doing more on the Pastha/Sara/Luva trio.


	4. 03

**Title: **Distortion  
**Fandom: **Angelique  
**Character/Pairing[s]: **Clavis/Julious, mentions of others.  
**Theme/Prompt: **#5 'Sense'  
**Rating: **PG-15 for safety's sake.  
**Warnings: **Some male/male situations, mild horror of the supernatural persuasion, violence and language.  
**Summary: **Part of the Deadwalk AU and immediately follows on from 'Echo'. There's something in the air.  
**  
Notes: **Grargh. So not punctual. Anyway, RL is RL. Reviews make it go faster and I also need to know what people are thinking by now. Please?

* * *

The small group sat about in silence for a moment whilst Luva gathered himself to speak. The expression on the librarian's face was uncertain and his complexion was a little bit pale, as if he couldn't quite come to terms with his own findings. Pastha, noting this, laid a comforting hand on his boyfriend's shoulders and glanced across at Sara. His girlfriend shook her head a little, countenance solemn.

'It's probably worse than we thought,' she began, and Clavis' heart sank, but he knew that what was to come next was to be heard by the whole group.

Wait,' he said, and everyone turned to look at him. He laid a hand against the cell phone in his pocket.

'Wouldn't it be better if everyone were here to listen to this?' He asked softly. Sara paused, considering.

'Yes, I think so too,' Luva put in, brow furrowed. 'This way, if everyone hears the same version, it will be easier to prevent any misunderstandings.' Pastha looked as though he wanted to protest, and when Clavis turned to him, he asked,

'What about the kids? I mean Angelique, Marcel and Zephel are in school, Randy's got class now-'

'This is sorta bigger than school right now,' Sara said firmly, in a tone that brooked no argument as she commandeered Clavis' phone from him.

'Julious is back at our apartment,' the fortune-teller said. 'Since everyone knows where that is, and it is closer, I suggest we meet everyone there. When Sara has finished with my phone, I'll tell him we're coming over. '

* * *

A couple of hours later and almost everyone was gathered and seated somehow in the living room of Clavis and Julious' small apartment, with the exception of Pastha, Luva and the psychics. Sara was holding Luva's hand, squeezing occasionally to encourage him to start speaking although her expression was set in the same unhappy frown. Clavis traded a glance with Julious, who was sat at the tiny dining table, and laid a comforting hand on the other man's shoulder as the librarian's explanation into what he'd found in his research began.

'Right,' he began uncertainly. 'We all know that the night one month ago in which Rosalia disappeared and Lumiale-' He swallowed. The gentle artist was a close a friend to him as the others. 'Pastha took some strange readings from the Observatory – strange patterns in the stars that were either previously unrecorded or just plain unseen.'

Taking a deep breath, he seemed to take heart now that he was in his area of expertise no matter how uncomfortable the information he was about to reveal.

'Well, I had a good look around – in and out of the Collection – and one of the volumes of the _Cosmos Codex _is missing.'

'Which?' asked Clavis, tersely. 'And for how long?'

Luva's mouth set in a grim line. '_The_ _Rule and Hierarchy_.'

'The _what_?!' Oscar almost-shouted. 'How the _fuck_ did he get a hold of that? When did you notice this?'

'What's that one about, Luva?' Angelique asked, her tone confused. Marcel nodded.

'I don't remember which one that was,' he put in; his own voice was troubled but no less puzzled. 'The _Cosmos Codex_ is the really forbidden one, right?'

Clavis' hand tightened on Julious' shoulder until his lover gave a soft, almost silent noise indicating that it was becoming painful. He released his grip almost absently, but continued to stare at Luva in utter shock and horror. He wasn't the only one. Pastha's eyes were showing white all around the pupil as he stepped forward to stand in front of his lovers.

'How long?' He practically hissed. Sara looked as though she was trying not to flinch, but Luva looked him straight in the eyes and swallowed nervously.

'Since…the last time we saw Arios as he used to be before Leviath.' Angelique muffled an exclamation; when Clavis looked over, she had turned her face into Marcel's shoulder with the younger boy's arms around her. Randy was staring determinedly down at the floor, eyes a little too bright. Zephel's reaction was a lot more hostile however. Spitting out an expletive, he didn't shrink back from Olivie's sharp warning look but stared defiantly back. He started to say something, angrily straightening from where he was leaned against the doorjamb but stopped as Randy held his forearm in what looked to be a vice-like grip. He bit back his words with obvious difficulty, but leaned back, wrenching his arm away from the other.

'Is Ernst aware of this?' Julious' soft question turned their attention back to the missing book of forbidden and ancient magic. At the mention of the Archivist, Luva's face went paler still, taking on a greyish tinge; Sara bit her lip, her eyes suddenly full of tears.

'What is it?'

'Ernst… I called him – at work, at his house – but there wasn't an answer. Finally, I asked someone I have a passing acquaintance with at his office to try and get in touch with him for me. But he said that he hadn't seen Ernst for a couple of months.'

There was a collective gasp of shock around the room, varying in degrees of intensity but they were all reeling. The Archivist was a friend, Luva's mentor, and on more than one occasion, a great help to them all when they had been trying to find their place in the City, struggling in the hostile sectors of Deadwalk amongst the predators in varied forms. Technically, the Institute of Research into the Arcane was supposed to be neutral and spare with giving away information that could inevitably lead to destruction and the end of the world, but Leviath's influence was everywhere these days and everyone was mostly looking out for his or her (or even it's) own in the interest of maintaining their existence.

'And this friend?' demanded Oscar hotly. 'They didn't think to investigate where he was after he didn't turn up for work?'

Shaking his head minutely, Luva said disconsolately, 'No. Apparently he'd put in for leave. Just to visit relatives; it's no secret he's from way out of town. Anyway, after two weeks, some people _were_ starting to get concerned but the department managers shut them up.'

'Payoffs in the Institute,' muttered Randy, his tone disgusted but at the same time, resigned.

'Right,' said Pastha. 'That bastard's got people everywhere, but we were naïve enough to think that we had a completely neutral system in the Institute. And the cops aren't going to do anything about a guy that the mob want as badly as one of the chief Archivists.'

Clavis looked expectantly back to Luva. It looked like he was ready to continue, and Pastha had returned to his previous seat, although he still looked as though he would jump up at any time. Sara was dividing her worried glances between the pair of them; her other hand was now on Pastha's shoulder, making soothing motions. With a glance at his side, the librarian took a deep, steadying breath and continued.

'In answer to Marcel and Angelique's query, the _Rule _deals with the history of the first Queen and her Aide and the uprising of the demons from UrCosmos, the underworld, or Hell. I believe that Arios found something in that book which led him to believe he could summon and subdue one of the demons that the Queen and her Aide imprisoned in one of the lesser, undeveloped Cosmos all those aeons ago. A key of some kind.'

'Wait a minute,' Olivie said suddenly, panicked. 'Didn't they both use their blood in the Seals for each demon? That's what I heard from Ernst…'

Luva nodded reluctantly. Angelique gasped anew, her hand against her mouth. Tears leaked out of her wide, shocked eyes.

'_Rosalia,' _Zephel bit out harshly. Oscar clenched his fist on the tabletop, staring down at the grain of the wood hard.

'The use of one of the Keys would undoubtedly weaken the Seal of a great demon or let loose a lesser,' Luva continued unhappily. Julious hissed in sudden understanding, and Clavis felt the sharp urge to close his eyes against the influx of emotions this new revelation was causing. The dreams of something dark and evil pursuing him across the City suddenly made new sense, and he felt more helpless against them now than ever. Dimly he was aware that Luva was still speaking and forced himself to focus.

'The dwindling of the Queen's power so rapidly, means that now there is no one to occupy the Throne at the moment, obviously otherwise She would never allow this city to exist. Since each Power is unique, the Seals on the other demons are presumably safe for now.'

'Before, you thought that Rosalia and I were-' Angelique began, blinking. '_All_ that power?' She squeaked, awed and frightened. Sara crossed the room to her and knelt beside her on the opposite side to Marcel.

'Yes,' she said kindly. 'Both the Queen and the Aide held Power in equal amounts but used it in different ways to help nurture the Cosmos. But now it could merely be that the Power has turned into something different – something that still helps but in a less obvious manner.' The golden-haired girl looked up at her and offered a tentative smile, nodding. Sara laid a hand on her head and continued.

'The position was never hereditary; this was ruled specifically for the benefit of the Seals so that without the Power, the blood of the First Queen and her Aide's line was rendered useless to anyone with malicious intent in that area.'

Randy frowned. 'So then… assuming that Arios used Rosalia… He only had Power to work with, so how did he manage to bring Leviath across.'

'That was something I asked Ernst to work on,' put in Luva. 'Though you know him, he was probably already working on it in secret, waiting for something like this to happen. He believed that the girls had a direct line back to the First Queen and the Aide, or their families.'

'I take it that genealogy of Royal lineage is documented carefully in case of this situation then?'

Pastha nodded, letting out a breath in a low whistle. 'Yeah, and I bet Ernst's superiors were onto him as well. Only certain people are allowed to know about the Lineage and they're kept an eye on.' He swore under his breath, shaking his head in disgust and disbelief.

'Digging out the corruption from the Institute is something we need to work on,' said Julious quietly. Clavis nodded in silent agreement, but then added for him, 'But after we depose Leviath.'

There were various forms of agreement and assent from around the room.

'And Lumiale as well,' said Olivie, looking over at Oscar, who returned his gaze steadily.

'Yeah,' the flame-haired man muttered darkly. 'After I take the payment from this demon's hide,' he added, so quietly that only those at the table, Clavis, Julious and Randy, could overhear him.

Pastha cocked his head to one side, looking as if he had a question that he had been holding in for some time. 'Clavis, about those goons earlier, you think they might be related to this?'

The fortune-teller almost started. He'd all but forgotten about the strange men outside of the Observatory with their _changed_ auras. He recounted what he'd felt for the benefit of the rest of the group who had not been present.

'Yeah, I heard those rumours too,' nodded Olivie, frowning a little. 'They changed regular goons into guys that packed some spectacular superhuman muscle. The tales I've been hearing are pretty recent though.'

'What were they after?' Sara asked Pastha curiously. The astronomer shrugged.

'Dunno, never spoke with them. My gem of a receptionist sent them off packing. Which reminds me, I need to thank her properly for that, with wonderful suspicions like these,' he added, not a little sarcastically.

'I asked Julious if he might look into it, but if it's bigger than we think-'

'I'll help,' interrupted Oscar abruptly. When all eyes turned to him, he shrugged. 'At the moment, I'm not helping. I… need to do _something_,' he said and there was something urgent in the way he stressed that last. Julious nodded his thanks, reaching up for a moment to briefly squeeze Clavis' hand that was still on his shoulder.

'I know some people, regulars at the club, who are usually on top of things in the rumour mill,' Olivie revealed, turning to Oscar. 'If you come this evening, a few of the group should be there. I'll make introductions and leave you to it, if you think you can do that. They're open and friendly enough with strangers.'

'Amazing they've lasted long in this city then,' commented Zephel. Randy looked at him sharply, about to say something, but before he could, Sara intervened.

'He has a point,' she said, biting her lip, a sure sign that she was more anxious than usual. 'How can you be sure they're not working for Leviath?'

'I think you all know Charlie Wong, am I right?' asked Olivie. 'He deals in the shadier side of the market for arcane, relics and information on the occult side of things. He knows what's bad for business when he sees it and he saw what was gonna happen with Leviath in charge at the beginning. 'Course I don't think he knows _everything_ that's going on, but arcane drugs? That's something he'd have some facts on, for sure.' The nightclub owner shrugged casually.

'I assume that, with him being a businessman, there'd be a charge?'

'Yeah, usually,' said Olivie confidently. 'But he owes me more than a few favours. I don't think he'd even count this as one if I tell him what exactly is going on right now.'

'True, the end of the human world would put a crimp in business,' remarked Pastha dryly. Luva took a deep breath and made for the door.

'I'll keep on looking for more information on this demon. I know I can trust at least one person at the Institute right now, and he may have names of people he knows we might be able to rely on. It's just a matter of keeping it quiet from Leviath that we actually know something,' he said, as he opened it and stepped into the hall. Sara followed him, but Pastha lingered in the doorway for a moment, beckoning to Clavis. The fortune-teller obliged, walking over to see what he wanted. He was surprised when Pastha, after pulling him outside by the elbow, shut the door, lowered his voice and said in an apologetic tone,

'What I was saying earlier in the office before Sara rang, do you remember?' At Clavis' somewhat bemused nod, he continued, 'Now really isn't the time, but I don't think there ever will be one, not for this. Sara told me that you didn't know, but back in college, Arios and Julious were… something of an item.' Pastha's eyes were nervous and, strangely, guilty as he said this but Clavis paid him no heed. He was sure he had gone pale, could feel the blood rushing from his face. There was no way-

'You're sure-' He began, equally as hushed, but his tone was cool, even icy. Pastha grimaced, but nodded.

'I thought you'd know, or he'd tell you, but…' He trailed off, looking down but not before Clavis saw his expression.

'I take it that it was not a mutual break-up,' he surmised, carefully watching the other. Pastha nodded.

'Arios was in deep with his interest in training, but Sara tells me he was quite in love with Julious. When Julious wanted to do something more mundane, he didn't like it, resented the time Julious was taking in his studies. Didn't take it very well when Julious broke it off, from what I hear.'

Clavis was silent for a moment and then, 'I could have heard this from Julious when he was ready to tell me himself,' he said, the underlying question clear in that statement. The astronomer shrugged minutely.

'Up until I told you just now, you were the only person in the room that didn't know.'

Clavis went very still, barely even breathing as he tried to get his mind to fully register what the other had just revealed.

'Clavis?' Julious called his name and Clavis made very sure of his expression before he turned slightly in his lover's direction, although judging by the look on Pastha's face, he hadn't been very successful. The astronomer's face was a mixture of guilt, sympathy and wariness as he looked back at the psychic. He visibly hesitated before placing a hand solidly on Clavis' shoulder.

'Just… talk with him about it. It might be that he couldn't face telling you himself, not with,' he made an expansive gesture, 'all this going on. I've known him only a little while longer than you, but I know he's not a bad guy.'

'I'll see you around,' he added, raising his voice to a more normal level. 'I'll look for irregularities up above,' he pointed. 'And I'll see if I can find something in the records.' With that, he turned on his heel and left, a last expressive look at Clavis before the door shut behind him. Carefully schooling his expression so he showed as little as normal, he walked back over to the dining table and sat on Oscar's other side, opposite Julious, as the others began talking enthusiastically about the different research methods they would be using in their quest to bring Leviath down.

He watched, not really listening, but thinking hard.

* * *

Whew. That turned out to be a bit of a behemoth of a chapter by my usual word count, but I got it updated. Kinda _later_ than I mentioned at the bottom of the last chapter but, hey, never mind.

I'm planning on getting out a one-shot detailing the night of this mysterious ritual (woooo), which, since it doesn't fall in order with the rest of this story, will be posted separately. It will be titled, 'Backtrack', so watch out for it if you're keeping abreast of 'Deadwalk'. This will likely be out between the next chapter of the current timeline and the one after that, since the plight of Lumiale is a big part of those.

Reviews are more than appreciated and keep me motivated to update faster, in fact.


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